updated 08:35 pm EST, Wed February 10, 2010

Kingston SSDNow V SSDs get TRIM, faster speeds

Memory maker Kingston on Wednesday outlined the changes it has made to its upcoming second-generation SSDNow V Series drives. The biggest is the addition of Windows 7 TRIM support, which will help the drives retain optimal performance throughout their lifespan through wear-leveling. The drives retain their choice of 30GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities, regardless of the operating system, and can be ordered as standalone SSDs or part of an upgrade bundle kit.

Sequential read speed of the 30GB model is set at 180MBps, while read speed is 50MBps. The 64GB and 128GB models share the same 200MBps read speed but the former has a 110MBps sequential read speed, while the latter has a 160MBps write speed. These are marked improvements over the first-generation drives' 100MBps read and 80MBps write speeds.

The bundle kits add Acronis cloning software and either a 2.5-inch USB SATA external enclosure in the notebook bundle for the old drive or 3.5-inch mounting brackets and hardware along with SATA data and power cable extenders for the desktop bundle.

The updated SSDNow V Series drives will start shipping on February 15th, with prices starting at $110 for the 30GB model and $362 for the 128GB version. The bundles add about $15 to the price of each. The prices match those of their predecessors.